The Evanston Land Use Commission will send a negative recommendation to the city council for a proposed Popeyes on Dempster Street.
EVANSTON, IL — The Evanston land use Commission unanimously opposed a proposed Popeyes Louisiana Chicken location on Dempster Street following hours of public comment.
Since the restaurant was first proposed in May, it has attracted the ire of passionate community members, led by the president of the neighboring Heartwood Center Nancy Floy.
Heartwood is a beloved healthcare center in the community that provides affordable housing, jobs free holistic health care and Buddhist classes and programs. For many who spoke at Wednesday’s meeting, the center is a part of what makes Evanston special.
Floy and the community have fought in opposition to the restaurant for months, stating the traffic and odor will devastate the center.
“After 28 years, I will have to close Heartwood. The financial liability will just be too great. There will be no more affordable housing, no more 50 jobs, no more workforce training, no more free health care, no 1000 people a week coming through onto our block, no Buddhist temple,” Floy said.
The commission brought up several concerns during deliberations, including the use of the alleyway for deliveries and garbage and traffic impacts to the area.
“We don’t want to hurt the community by putting a business that it would be destructive to the fabric of that area or hurt the values of the property,” commissioner Darush Mabadi said.
Franchisee Karim Poonja’s family have been operators within the Popeyes brand for more than 40 years and said the Evanston location would help generate tax revenue for the city and create jobs. The location would not have a drive-thru and would be more of a sit-down style restaurant with eight to 10 seats inside, Poonja said.
The restaurant would stay open until 10 p.m. Monday through Saturday and close at 9 p.m. on Sundays. Parking for the Popeyes is still undecided, but the Valli Produce parking lot at 1968 Dempster was a suggested option.
At the meeting, Poonja stressed that his family’s intentions when looking at the Dempster location were positive.
“We also never intended this to be a pick Popeyes and destroy the neighborhood type of thing. Those thoughts never even entered our mind. It was just to provide another food option in an area that’s known for food,” Poonja said.
The proposal will now head to the Evanston City Council with a negative recommendation from the commission.